Edna Lewiss Angel Food Cake Recipes

FROSTED ANGEL FOOD CAKE

Steps:

• For the angel food cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Combine the cake flour and salt in a medium bowl and sift together 5 times. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, with an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until frothy (lots of bubbles but still liquid and loose). Add the cream of tartar and beat on high until stiff, 4 to 5 minutes. With the mixer on medium low, slowly sprinkle in the sifted granulated sugar. Fold in the sifted flour mixture gently until it's all combined. Sprinkle the vanilla into the bowl and fold gently.
• Spoon the batter into an angel food or tube pan (preferably with cooling legs)--make sure there's no grease or butter in there! Smooth the top and bake until a wooden skewer stuck all the way to the bottom comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. (Don't open the oven while it's baking!)
• Carefully remove the cake from the oven and immediately invert it onto its cooling legs (see Cook's Note). Let the cake cool completely while upside-down.
• For the frosting: Beat the powdered sugar, butter and cream in a large bowl with an electric mixer until very light and fluffy. Add a few drops of yellow food coloring as desired.
• Carefully remove the cake from the pan and transfer it to a cake plate upside-down, so that the end that was stuck to the bottom of the pan is now facing up. Frost the cake all over.

EDNA LEWIS'S ANGEL FOOD CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour and 3/4 cups sugar and sift twice onto wax paper or a plate. Set aside.
• Put egg whites into a large mixing bowl and beat on low speed until frothy. Add cream of tartar, salt, vanilla and 1 tablespoon water. Continue beating, gradually increasing speed until egg whites begin to increase in volume. Sprinkle remaining 3/4 cup sugar over whites 1/4 cup at a time, and beat until incorporated. Do not overbeat. Egg whites should be just firm enough to form soft peaks.
• Sift 1/4 of the reserved flour and sugar mixture over beaten whites and fold in. Repeat until entire mixture has been added, making sure each addition is fully incorporated into whites before adding more.
• Spoon batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan. Use a long spatula or butter knife to draw a deep line through center of batter following circumference of pan; this will release any large pockets of air.
• Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until cake is golden brown and springs back to the touch. Remove from oven and invert onto a plate; cool completely in pan. When cooled, use a long straight-edged spatula to loosen cake from sides of pan. Store tightly covered.

GREAT GRANDMA PEARL'S ANGEL FOOD CAKE WITH PEACHES AND CREAM

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• In a standing electric mixer, beat the egg whites at medium speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and salt and beat until stiff peaks form. Beat in the sugar, a few tablespoons at a time, until smooth and glossy, about 4 minutes.
• Transfer the egg whites to a large, wide bowl. Using a fine sieve, gradually sift the flour over the egg whites, gently folding in the flour with a spatula. Fold in the vanilla and almond extracts.
• Scrape the batter into a 10-inch angel food cake pan. Using a table knife, slice through the cake batter several times to release any large air bubbles. Tap the cake pan once or twice on a flat surface. Bake in the center of the oven for 20 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for about 35 minutes longer, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Invert the pan onto the neck of a wine bottle and let cool completely.
• To loosen the cake, run a thin-bladed knife around the side and tube of the pan. Unmold the cake and transfer to a platter. Cut the cake into wedges and drizzle with some of the reserved syrup. Serve with the sliced peaches and whipped cream.

ANGEL FOOD CAKE

Steps:

• Place egg whites in a large bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Sift confectioners' sugar and flour together twice; set aside. , Add the cream of tartar, extracts and salt to egg whites; beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add granulated sugar, about 2 tablespoons at a time, beating on high until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Gradually fold in flour mixture, about 1/2 cup at a time., Gently spoon into an ungreased 10-in. tube pan. Cut through the batter with a knife to remove air pockets. Bake on the lowest oven rack at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until lightly browned and entire top appears dry. Immediately invert pan; cool completely, about 1 hour. , Run a knife around side and center tube of pan. Remove cake to a serving plate.

EDNA LEWIS'S BISCUITS

Steps:

• Take a large bowl, sift into it the measured flour, salt, soda and baking powder. Add the lard, and blend together with a pastry blender or your fingertips until the mixture has the texture of cornmeal.
• Add the milk all at once by scattering it over the dough. Stir vigorously with a stout wooden spoon. The dough will be very soft in the beginning but will stiffen in 2 or 3 minutes. Continue to stir a few minutes longer.
• After the dough has stiffened, scrape from sides of bowl into a ball, and spoon onto a lightly floured surface for rolling. Dust over lightly with about a tablespoon of flour as the dough will be a bit sticky. Flatten the dough out gently with your hands into a thick, round cake, and knead for a minute by folding the outer edge of the dough into the center of the circle, giving a light knead as you fold the sides in overlapping each other.
• Turn the folded side face down and dust lightly if needed, being careful not to use too much flour and cause the dough to become too stiff. Dust the rolling pin and the rolling surface well. Roll the dough out evenly to a 1/2-inch thickness or a bit less. Pierce the surface of the dough with a table fork. (It was said piercing the dough released the air while baking.)
• Dust the biscuit cutter in flour first; this will prevent the dough sticking to the cutter and ruining the shape of the biscuit. Dust the cutter as often as needed. An added feature to your light, tender biscuits will be their straight sides. This can be achieved by not wiggling the cutter. Press the cutter into the dough and lift up with a sharp quickness without a wiggle. Cut the biscuits very close together to avoid having big pieces of dough left in between each biscuit. Trying to piece together and rerolling leftover dough will change the texture of the biscuits.
• Place the biscuits 1/2 inch or more apart on a heavy cookie sheet or baking pan, preferably one with a bright surface. The biscuits brown more beautifully on a bright, shining pan than on a dull one, and a thick bottom helps to keep them from browning too much on the bottom. Set to bake in a preheated 450-degree oven for 13 minutes. Remove from the oven, and let them rest for 3 to 4 minutes. Serve hot.

EDNA LEWIS'S LEMON CHEESE LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease three 9-inch cake pans and line with parchment or waxed paper. Mix flour, baking powder and salt and sift onto a piece of waxed paper or parchment.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat sugar and butter until light and fluffy, scraping sides as needed. Whisk egg whites until well blended but not foamy, and add to batter in 4 batches, making sure each addition is well incorporated.
• Add dry ingredients and milk to batter, alternately, in 4 batches, mixing each only until just blended. Mix in vanilla.
• Divide batter among 3 pans. Gently drop each one on a counter to eliminate large air bubbles. Bake for about 20 minutes or until cake springs back in center when pressed or a cake tester comes out clean. Let rest for 5 minutes, then remove cake from pan and cool completely on rack.
• Meanwhile, make curd: Put all ingredients in a non-reactive saucepan and whisk to blend. Set over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until filling thickens and a candy thermometer registers 170 degrees. This can take 10 to 15 minutes. Do not let filling simmer or boil. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl to cool to room temperature.
• Place a cake layer on a cake stand or plate and spread 2/3 cup curd on top to the edges. Stack another layer and continue until all layers have been used. Use remaining curd on top and sides. Filling is somewhat translucent, so layers will be visible through curd on sides. If layers slide while frosting, push 3 or 4 long wooden skewers through them to hold until cake sets. Cake is best left covered at room temperature overnight.